Apparatus for ironing garments.



H. B. FERGUSON.

AEPARATUS POR I RONING GARMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1913.

VPatented Nov. l, 1913. 2 SHBILTS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR H. B. FERGUSON. Y APPARATUS FOR IEONING GARMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1913.

1,078,269, Patented N0v.11,1913. l

2 S'HEETSfSHEET 2.

WITNESSES I INVENTOR Mffwfw' Wl@ @fw/W am? HERMAN E. Enne-uson, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR RONING GARMNTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11, 1213.

ppiication tiled.l March 14, 1913. Serial No. 754,275.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HERMAN B. FERGU- soN, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and Stateof Pennsylvanimhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Ironing Garments, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to garment ironing apparatus or machines designed to eliminate the hand ironing necessary in preparing manufactured garments such as shirts for sale. The invention has for its primary objects, the provision of a machine or apparatus in which it is poible to iron or smooth the entire shirt at one operation; the pro-vision of a machine permitting ar convenient and effective straightening of the material of the garment preliminary to the 'final pressing operation; and the provision of a machine which will properly iron or press'the material of the garment at and ad* jacent the neck band. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the aoco-mpa nying drawings wherein# Figure 1. is a perspectiveV View of the apparatus employed, Fig. 2 is a face view of the .upper presser member, Fig. 3 is a. faceview of the lower presser member, Figs. 4e, 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views illustrating the steps employed fin-preparing the shirt for the ironing or pressing operation, Fig. S is a view of the front of the shirt as finally folded, Figli) is a plan view of the shirt band supporter, Fig. 10 is avie-w of the shirt as `folded with the neck band supporter in position, Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic side elevation view showing the relative position of the presser plat-es with the shirt to be pressed therebetween, just before the pressing operation occurs, Fig. 12 is a view similar to Ythat of Fig. 11,-but withthe presser plates in their first operative position, at

which time one end of the shirt is gripped between the plates while the other end is left` free to be straightened before the final pressing operation, Fig. 13 is a View similar to that of Figs. '11 and 12 but `with the presser platesin their final pressing position, Fig.

14 is a view illustrating the presser plates.

and shirt after' the pressing. operation has been completed. and the presser plates separated to permit of the removal 'of the shirt,

' Fig. 15 is an enlarged detail of one of the yokes, and 16 is an elevation of .a modification.

in the manner illustrated.

lteferring to Fig. 1 of the drawing', 1 is the framework or pedestal of the machine securely mounted upon the base plate 2 and preferably formed of metal. The endV of the framework 1 carries the hollow metal presser plate 3 provided at one end with a recess 4 for the reception of the neck band of' the shirt.4 Steam is provided for heating the plate 3, by means of the pipe 5, while anotherpipe 6 serves to take care ofthe condensation in vthis plate. presser plate or'member, such plate also be ing hollow and heated by means of steam from the pipe S (Fig. 3) such pipe having a flexible portion 9 as indicated in Fig. 1, to permit of the movement of the plate 7. The condensation from the plate 7 is taken care of by means of the pipe 10 (Fig. 3).

The plate 7 is provided at one end with a pair of arms 11 straddling the brackets 12 and 1 5. The brackets are slotted as indicated at '14, and in these slots works a trans verse rod 15 secured to the arms 11. The frontend of the plate 7 is thus guided vertically and held against lateral o'r twisting movement. The front and rear ends of the plate at the lower side thereof are provided with the pivoted yokes 1G and .17 pro 1vided with the downwardly Yprojemting bosses 18 and 19. The bosses 18 and i9 have telescopic relation with the rods 20 and therebeneath, by means of the construction shown in detail in Fig. 15. By reference. to this figure it will be seen that the boss 153 slidingly receives the upper end of the rod 20, a strong spring 22 being interposed between collars carried by the boss 1S and rod 20. This arrangement provides for the yielding application of power to the plate 7. The connection between the boss 19 and rod 21 is similar to the one `inst 'd escrldoed,l

a spring 23 providing for the yielding'application of force to the right hand end of the plate 7 The two rods 20 andv 21 are opera-ted by means of the foot treadles 24 and 25 pivoted tothe base plate 2 and having their left hand ends connected to the rods 26 and 27 ends of the rods 20 and 26 and 21 and 2l are threaded right and left hand and carry The opposing l 7 is the lower l titl the adjusting nuts 28 and 29, suchnuts serving to adjust the position of the plate 'I7 In operating the machine a4 fully folded shirt suoli as 'that shown in Fig. 811s placed upon the plate 7, `with the neck band"in rear end o-f the plate 7 to move up, the parts i guided upon each other by means of a pin 31 carried by one end'ofthe strip of metal shirt lie to thel rear of such board, this i Fi `position to fit inside therecess 4 in the up- 'smooth (Fig. 12). As soon as this is accoming operation and secure its contact with in the art.

per plate 3. The parts then occupy the position illustrated in Fig. 11. The lever 24 is then forced down by the foot, causing the front end of the plate 7 to rise and grip the shirt against the end of the plate 3. `The operator then grasps the right hand end of the shirt and pulls it perfect-ly straight and plished the lever 25 is operated to cause the at such time occupying the position indicated in Fig. 13. The shirt is held in this posi.-

necessary ironing or pressing action, at which time the endsof the levers 24 and 25 are released and the plate 7 moved down by gravity to the positionindicated in Fig. 14, at which time the shirt may be removed and another one placed in position.

In yorder to hold the neck band of the shirt in v ertical position during the pressthe surface of the plate 3 in therecess 4, the supporting member 30 illustrated in Fig. 9 is preferably employed. This member is made of spring metal with overlapping ends Working inthe slot carried by the other end, this being.' a well. known construction This supporter ts in the neck band,` and by reason of the yielding character of the metal will fit neck bands of different sizes and hold them in upright position during the pressing operation.

In order to insure a complete pressing, and add to the efficiency of the apparatus, a` presser' board 32V of metal or any other desired material, may be used as indicated in Fig. 4. The shirt is folded over this board as indicated diagrammatically in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, and is left in position inside the shirt during the 'pressing operation, after which it is removedbysliding it endwise without unfolding the shirt. By reference to Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, it will be seen that the back of the shirtl and the fro-nt portion or bosom thereof lie to the front of the board 32, while Vthe arms, the side portions of the shirt, and the lower portion of the being the usual method employed in folding shirts. The board 32 not only serves to more effectively securea proper ironing o. pressing of the shirt, but gives a form about which the shirt may be folded. In some classes of work it may be found dcsirable to omit the use of this presser board, and in some fcases 'the shirt may be folded over card board, which may or may not/be left in position during the pressing (iperation, depending upon'the character i, of the material.

Fig. 16 illustrates in side elevation a modil lied type of construction, which is in some respects preferred, particularly in that only a single operating treadle need be used, insteadl of the two treadles of the structure of Fig. 1. In this structure 1 is the framework of the machine, and 2 is the base plate.l The framework 1 carries an upper hollow presser plate 3 having the steam supply and drainage pipes 5 and 6, as in the other type of construction. The lower plate 7 is also hollow and'provided with the pipe 8 and 10i. An operating rod 34 is slida'bly mounted in thev guide 35, and is actuated from the treadle lever 36, such lever being connected to the lower end of the rodl 34 by means of the lin-k 37. The presser plate 7 is pivotally supported as indicated at 38, anda spring 39 provides for the yielding application of power from the rod 34 to the plate 7, the construction at this point being the same as that heretofore described for the machine of Fig. 1, and as illustrated in Fig. 15.` A lever 40 serves to maintain lthe plate 7 inclined during the first operation ofthe treadle 36. The lever is provided Witlra handle and with a notch fitting over a pin 41 carried by the rod 34. A plate 42 is slidably mounted on the top ofthe plate 7', so that the plate can be pulled forward from beneath the plate 3 and the shirt applied thereto, after which the plate can be vreturned to the position illustrated.

In operation, after the shirt has been applied to the plate 42 and moved to the posi tion illustrated in Fig. 16, the treadle is operated to cause the right hand end of the plate 42 to move up and press the front end of the shirt against the plate 3. After the shirt has been smoothed out upon the plate 42 the lever 40 is released from its pin 41, power being at the same time applied to the treadle 36 to still further actuate the rod 34 and tlie plate carriedthereby. This last actuation Aof the treadle causes the plate il2 to move up to complete pressing position. The end of the presser plate 7 is enlarged and given additional weighty as indicated at 43, in order to cause the plate to automati cally assume the inclined position shown, after the release of the treadle, and the upper plate 3 is recessed at the neck band the same as in the construction of Figs. 1 and 2.

The process and apparatus as heretofore described permits of the pressing or ironing of shirts withgreat rapidity, and the garment after being ironed is found to be substantially as well done as in the processes now in vogue wherein much hand labor is necessary, and wherein only one fold of the material can be pressed at a time. The use of the neck'band supporter as shown in Fig. 10 when taken in connection with, the recessed upper plate 3 secures a proper ironing or pressing of such band und the lIiO material ofthe shirt immediately.surround-lI of course be substituted for that illustrated,

and the plate 7 may be otherwise guided in its movements, the only requirement being that the plate be made to approach at one end first in order to grip the shirt, leaving the other portion of thev .shirt free so that it may be straightened preliminary to the final movement of approach between the plates. Various other means for heating the plates might also be employed, the drawings illustrating only one embodiment ofa large number of means by which Vthe invention .might be carried out. In those cases in which the apparatus is to be used with starched shirts, the resser board 32 is inserted between 'the s irt front and the back of the shirt, and the garment is pressed without folding the other portions of the shirt.

vWhat I claim is:y A' l. Apparatus for ironing garments oomprising a fixedplate, a movable plate mountedfor movement toward and from the fixed plate and'for oscillation about a point adj acent one end, means for heating `one of the plates, means for moving the end of the oscillatory plate toward the 'fixed plate 'to grip the end of the garment leaving the other end ofs'uch plate separated from the fixed plate, and means for moving such vother end toward the xed plate While maintaining the first mentionedv end of theoscillatory plate in gripping position. v 2. Apparatus for ironing garments, comprising lower and upper flat presser plates,

means for heating one of the plates, and means wherebyfone of the plates is caused to ,move toward the-other at Lone end and at an angle to the other plate, to grip the end of. the garment to permit it t0 be pulled straight, the ends of the plates opposite to `the gripping ends being left separated to permit such straightening operation preliminary to the final presslng operation.

3. Apparatus for ironing garments, comprising a lower presser plate and upper plate, means for heating one plate, and' mechanism for causing one of the plates to approach the other/in two. movements, the first movement bringing two opposing ends of the plates into grippin v engagement Vwith the end of the garment w ile the other ends of the plates are left separated to permit the ,garment to b e pulled straight, and the second movement bringing the separated endsv garment is first grippedat one end between4 the ends of the lates and second a movement bringing t e platesv into substantialv parallelism and close together .to press the lentire garment, and operating devices giving the said Vrelative movements and maintaining the gripping ends of the plates in gripping ostion while the plates are bein broug t into substantial' parallelism.

n testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed witnesses. l, I

HERMANB. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

HARVEY L, LECHNER, ARTHUR SYNNnsrvEo'r. 

